a few thoughts from Montreal

- walking through old Montreal feels like one is walking through parts of Europe.

- the rolling postal strike is an interesting idea. basically the workers strike for a few days in one city (for example Ottawa) and then they go back to work and a week or so later they strike in another city. this means the mail is slowed but not stopped and it means that if you aren't paying attention to what is happening you may show up at the post office to find a sign saying they are closed until they open again. oh and the sign is in French, this is Montreal you know. as of a few days ago all postal operations were suspended until an agreement is reached or back-to-work legislation is approved.

- public transportation should be efficient, clean and clear. thankfully that is how i would describe the Montreal system, especially the subway.

- Bixi bikes are the best! it's the public bike rental system and it is fabulous!!

- after a few hours here in Montreal i decided

the few words i remembered from my college French class were not going to cut it, especially since we are here for about a month. i opted to attend French classes at a language school in downtown Montreal that caters to foreigners with a desire to learn either French or English. my class was 2 hours each morning and included 12 students from: China (2), Saudi Arabia (3), Canada (1), Pakistan (1), Korea (2), Ukraine (1), Brazil (1). the curriculum was helpful but the best part was what i learned from the other students.

- we were trying to figure out if there are other cities in the world where you can speak (and thus learn) 2 languages with such ease?

- Little Italy is a cool place to hang out, especially if you like gelato, espresso, pasta or grappa.

-Marche Jean Talon is a fabulous market where we have easily spent half the day purchasing fresh produce, eating fresh oysters, sipping cappuccinos, wandering through the rows of herbs and plants, and people watching. currently, every day is market day!

ah Canada

Toronto was stop number one and it was a whirlwind from the moment we arrived. while we stayed with friends and family we were on the go from morning to night and that may have helped with the quick transition to western culture it also resulted in more than one morning where i woke up quite disoriented. hey, it's a tough life i lead you know...hahaha.

if you are ever in Toronto during the warmer months i recommend you get a bike and ride around. there are great parks, bike paths and neighborhoods to enjoy. also it is a great way to see a city.

best of Costa Rica

it was decided that the final few weeks in central america would be best spent in Costa Rica as there one can find the best and most consistent beginner waves. while it was sad to say goodbye to friends in Nicaragua i was quite excited to see some new and different waves. also, the plan was to head to part of the coast of CR that i had missed the last time i was there.

the border crossing was better than expected since the Nicaragua border patrol rebuilt the points of entry and exit; instead of being in the same place, in the same building and in the same lines you now go to one side of the building for one and the other side of the building for the

other. amazing. now if they would just add a sign or two leading up to the building...i would ask for a sidewalk but that seems a little too extreme. at least there was no rain on this crossing, when there is rain there is also mud and at the border crossing that could be mistaken for a

grand truck stop...well you can guess what happens!

below are some photos from CR. this was one of my favorites!

we arrived in CR to a few days of storms and rough waters. luckily there were a few areas with some smaller waves. this photo is of one on of the beaches with bigger and messier waves. i did not surf but the guy in the photo is not alone, there were a few out there.

we stayed in Tamarindo and surfed daily. i am happy to say my surfing drastically improved. our meal selection also drastically improved as we were in a bigger city and in CR. this is the view from one of my favorite places to watch the sun set.

rainy days

lots of rain lately, both in Nicaragua and in Costa Rica. of course we are entering into the rainy season so it is to be expected. in Nicaragua it resulted in days without power while in Costa Rica only a few hours without power. days without power are one thing, nights without power in a tropical climate are another. especially when you are staying in a room with no airflow; no air conditioning and no fan and no airflow generally = no sleep.

we left Nicaragua for a surf town in Costa Rica that appears to be a mecca for beginners and ex-pats. there are great beginner waves here, as well as breaks that excite the advanced surfer. it is a good place to get in some final sets before taking 2+ months off to visit family and friends in the states in canada.

Cool people doing cool things

One of the best things about traveling is all the interesting people you meet. here are two people you should know...

Ben Wilkins just signed his first record contract and is EP is out and burning the charts in Canada. Check him out here: benwilkinsmusic.com

Espen, the Alaskan born son of Norwegian parents has started a non-profit (Proyecto Remedios Educativos) that has found quick success in 2 years time and is building schools and providing much needed educational resources to communities in southern Nicaragua. You can find out more here: www.prehelps.org

Surfing!

Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday, a cloudy, breezy and somewhat cooler day (probably mid-80s) with only moments of the sun breaking through. The guru, the trainer, and I set off for El Transito today to test my balance and skill on rushing white water that flowed from the pounding waves. Although I had no reason to believe so, I sensed this would be the day I would pop up and stand on the board for more than 3 or even 5 seconds. It was 10:30am and the beach was already full of people wading in the water, playing in the sand, sitting on the beach, and walking along the beach (many with a beer in hand). As a side note, this is only relevant to this recounting as learning anything in front of an audience is not known to have a high success rate.

The waves were not the kind an experienced surfer would enjoy, but both the guru and the trainer proclaimed the scene perfect for me. The outing proved successful. Not only did I stay up on the board, I stayed up long enough to enjoy it, and to notice the lifeguards cheering me on and the locals with mixed expressions of amusement and curiosity.

Since this day…the Saturday before Easter Sunday, I have been out to El Transito numerous times and while my audience has dwindled to a few fisherman and a local kid who is trying to teach himself to surf, I have found more success with each outing.

another photo

another beach view from the surf camp at Puerto Sandino.

Friday...the one before Easter

This week of Semana Santa the beach is no longer barren, rather each day brings more children and families who wade in the water and wander in the surf. At this moment I estimate under a hundred people in the water where just days before it was only a handful. Now, not only are there people, but music, a man selling ice cream, and lifeguards. In my list trip to Nicaragua, I was told that most Nicas do not know how to swim. The young men, under 30 are more likely to have learned the basics but generally they are not comfortable swimming. Women and girls of any age I am told, rarely if ever, know how to swim. So what you see on the beach or at the lakes is people wading in the water, running from the oncoming waves and rarely going beyond waist high water. Having grown up in the states, I iniatlly found it a bit odd, but it did not take long to appreciate the small groups of people enjoying the water despite their limited swimming abilities. The lifeguards have been brought in specifically for this week and you can guess there have been incidents of drowning or near drowning. Little swimming experience, the inconsistencies of the ocean, and alcohol are each problematic on the beach and when added together, well it is almost predictable that some unfortunate accident will occur.

The women who work here told us of the fiesta that will occur tonight in the town square. Promises of music, dancing, alcohol and fun have not elicited much excitement in the group. No one has expressly said why but I imagine it may have something to do with the high men to women ratio, the delicate balance between locals and gringos that becomes tenuous when alcohol is consumed, and the exhaustion that sets in at about 7:30pm after surfing since 5 in the morning.

Speaking of surfing, I have a new surf teacher. He is less guru and more teacher which is fine because the guru is still here and available for periodic moments of enlightenment. The new teacher, a new surf instructor who arrived directly from Hawaii, is patient, confident and direct in his teaching. This morning’s lesson did not result in my successfully standing on the board (standing on a board for under 3 seconds generally does not count and with this teacher you must be up for at least 5 for it to count), but it was successful in that I was made to ride over, in and through waves that normally I would have turned away from. As the guru told me after a frustrating session yesterday, it is time in the water that will make you a surfer not time on the waves. The former financier, the travel companion who has yet to earn a respectable moniker for this blog, is still acting as my trainer. We are out almost every day to work on my paddling, turning and balance, it is this type of training which will enable me to withstand hours in the water no matter the weather.

The teacher suggested a few additions to the training routine, mainly more balancing exercises and a few days of what can best be described as getting hit with walls of water on purpose. Of course improved balance should need no explanation and apparently it is a concern of all surfers, no matter their level. The other suggestion, that I willingly paddle and float into breaking or almost breaking waves, is logical if you remember that a significant portion of surfing is getting out past the breaking waves. Still, when laying atop a 8 foot piece of fiberglass and facing a wall of water that is at the apex of its life, the only logic accessible is “let’s get the hell out of here!”

There was a moment, as the day was coming to a close, when I looked along the beach and saw the sky. It occurred to me that since I arrived, I have looked more toward the sea than the sky. Two beautiful sunsets aside, I have watched the waves and begun to notice the subtleties of the water pouring forth. So at this moment, I looked up to see a light blue sky with scattered puffy white clouds. A wind blew, stronger than the past few days, bending the small tree branches, lifting the hammocks and sending the plastic water bottles flying among the tables. Back home this might mean rain, but here it means…well I am not sure, I need more time to know that.

Until next time...Enjoy Passover and Happy Easter!

a walk along the beach- Puerto Sandino

Walking along the beach I marvel at the solitude I find. I am alone. Literally, one can walk the beach and encounter nary a soul. There are times a small wooden boat with an outboard motor can be seen departing or arriving in front of one of the small homes but those can be counted on one hand. The homes while small are colorful, their ornate facades facing the beach and dually protected by small trees, sparse vegetation, and up turned boats. none of these homes sport the muted colors of many a beach town in the states. As I walk, a line of clothing dries in the sun, dogs bark, the laughter of children floats beyond the trees, and a breeze dances on my skin in the hot Nicaraguan sun.